Toyota is giving its TRD Pro trio – Tundra,Tacoma, and 4Runner. – a mild update for the 2019 model year. The changes are mostly minor but help keep the already capable vehicles fresh in customers’ minds. That’s definitely needed considering how hot the off-road pickup segment is getting.

Continue reading for more on the 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.

The Taco Supreme

“Toyota has injected its 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro with more of the secret sauce”

Toyota has injected its 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro with more of the secret sauce. The truck’s most noticeable new feature is, of course, that snorkel. Toyota’s lawyers likely stopped the term from being used in an effort to avoid lawsuits of waterlogged Tacomas, but that’s the common term used for this raised air intake. Toyota officially calls it the TRD Desert Air Intake. While perhaps counterintuitive, the name is actually fitting. A snorkel is also good at grabbing clean air that’s above the dirt and dust that generally fills an engine bay when off-roading. This helps extend the life of the engine’s air filter and thereby maintaining better performance through better breathing and ultimately the potential for longer engine life. Sand and dirt will wreak havoc on an engine’s internal components, after all.

Aside from the optional TRD Desert air Intake, the 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro gets a few other exterior upgrades. The front skid plate has been upgraded with red lettering within its stamped TRD logo. The standard TRD cat-back exhaust now has a Black Chrome tip.

The 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro’s interior retains all the appearance upgrades found on the previous model. There is a TRD shift knob and TRD Pro logos on the floor mats and front seat headrests. Toyota’s Entune infotainment system with navigation and the App Suite come standard here, as does the premium JBL Audio system.

Of course, the Tacoma TRD Pro keeps its headlining feature: the 2.5-inch Fox Racing Shocks and upgraded suspension components. The shocks use 46mm pistons for strength and have eight bypass zones along its travel. Five of the zones are for compression and three are for rebound. Basically, the more compressed the shock becomes, the harder it fights being compressed. This gives the shocks a smooth, supple ride over normal bumps and protects the truck from bottoming out on larger bumps and even jumps.

Nothing changes with the Tacoma’s powertrain, either. The 3.5-liter V-6 comes standard and offers 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but a six-speed automatic is optional.

While most enthusiasts would gravitate toward the manual, the automatic does add handy off-road features that include Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control. The Multi-Terrain Select gives the driver more control over the engine and transmission tuning, along with added control over the traction control and ABS system thanks to drive modes. Crawl Control is basically a low-speed cruise control for off-roading. It not only maintains a certain speed but also sends power to whatever wheel needs it most based on traction.

Toyota has not released pricing for the 2019 Tacoma TRD pro, but it’s expected to only rise slightly. The 2018 model starts at $41,520. Choosing the automatic (which also brings the handy off-roading features) adds $2,000 to the price. We’ll bring you updating pricing as Toyota releases it closer to the truck’s arrival in showrooms in the fall of 2018.